Welcome To The New

 

In whatever language you hear this welcome to the first day of a new-born ecclesiastical and academic year, 2024 – 2025, Welcome!

It’s the beginning of the first month of a rising new year, the first day of the first week in this new school year and the first Lord’s Day Sunday to ever show itself to us in this fresh, new and glorious time.

Having been made abundantly clear and expressly aware of all these firsts, of that which is new, arising and bursting forth, many minds, I am sure, go back to an age old hymn, learnt at school by children up to the 70’s and 80’s. I vividly remember having to learn the entire hymn at Primary School, which was sung at almost every morning Assembly. It is John Keble’s striking moving and tenderly warming hymn, ‘New Every Morning is the Love’. Needless to say, in this moment in time, with all the newness bestowed upon us, this verse strikes calmly, yet urgently, in our receiving hearts.

New mercies, each returning day,

Hover around us while we pray,

New perils past, new sins forgiven,

New thoughts of God, new thoughts of heaven.

Pause! Rejoice, with the inner peace, joy and hope of the Lord, for all the newness which we have received. Think of the Presence, the Pardon, the Peace, the Power and Provisions we have received from our Heavenly Father, who has brought us to this newness. As spread out for us in the hymn verse, here are some of what is available to all who will receive.

New mercies. Our Lord’s, new mercies, does not mean more of the same, neither does it mean the same old that has been refurbished to make it new. No! Our Heavenly Father’s new, consists of what we have not had or known before. His mercies are new. New mercies.

New perils have past. We know only too well that we face new dangers and new fears daily. This new, never before lived year, is no exception for there are new experiences which we never had to think of before. These may be as simple as having to live without your neighbour to chat with, because she has died, or it may be that you have lost strength in your fingers and you are unable to do the work you so enjoyed doing. But we know the perils of losing faith and trust have past and our Heavenly Father has shown you how to live even closer to Him. New perils past.

New sins forgiven. Never be deceived, thinking only on your old sins. The very reason why there are new mercies, is because there are new sins. Trust me, the clever and cunning deceiver never sits by and lets opportunities like these slip by. He encourages you, in ways you may not even realise, to add new sins to your arsenal of old sins. For example, you may have been a quiet worrier, meaning that you did not go around complaining or angry with the world, because of your problems. But as soon as the dawn of the new season has stepped in, you begin to harbour worry and to handle it, you begin to entertain unhealthy thoughts, which only cause you to sin against God, even more. New sins forgiven.

New thoughts of God. Today, in this time of many new things, we are also receiving new thoughts of God. God is not being made, remade, and refurbished or any such. He is not evolving, so that you are discovering more about Him and having new thoughts about Him. Nonsense! You are the one who is growing, the one who is learning and seeing more, so you are having new thoughts about the Great, I AM. New thoughts of God.

New thoughts of heaven. At first I wanted to lump the new thoughts of God and the new thoughts of heaven as one, but I was shown differently. I received my new thoughts, right then and there. New came down hard on me, as learning correct thoughts, not holding on to old, incorrect thoughts.  I had to admit that many believe in God but have little, or no decisiveness about themselves and heaven.  New thoughts of heaven.

Welcome to newness, as we are divinely thankful and grateful to God for His unfathomable Son Jesus. It is the One Name, the one Jesus who suffered, who bled, who died and who rose again after three days, to save sinners.  

You think you know this, that Jesus died to save sinners? Well listen to it new, as this week we look at Jesus and a sinner and then you will determine whether, in your carnal flesh, you know that Jesus died and rose for you, a sinner.